"SAW"- man. A Philippine
Army soldier aims a Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW) as
he and his unit prepares to engage muslim rebels of
the MILF somewhere in the Mindanao highlands of
Zamboanga del Norte.

"Now Hear This".Philippine
Army Scout Rangers "at ease" as they listen to a
briefing from their commanding officer prior to a
military operation in the Southern Philippine province of Basilan Island.

Firing Squad. At a
Philippine Army base camp in a Southern Philippine
province, members of the First Infantry "Tabak"
Division practice perimeter defense of their outpost
with the watchful eye of US Army special forces
advisors.

Twin Towers.Two Philippine
Army soldiers are seen carrying what seems to be a scuba gear and a mortar tube strolls down the tarmac in Villamor Air Base possibly preparing to board a PAF C-130 Hercules transport plane bound to the Mindanao Island in Southern Philippines.

Halt ! who goes there ? With an Austrain-made AUG-Styer automatic assault rifle, a Philippine Army soldier test sight his weapon as he and his squad prepares for a long range reconnaissance patrol (LRP) mission.

Good Guys Wear Black. The
"panther skinned" government soldiers of the elite
Philippine Army First Scout Ranger Regiment, "the
Men in Black" parades in Fort Bonifacio during the
Army's anniversary celebration.

Attack Force Z. Painted
with black stripes like a Zebra (that's the Z) members of the Philippine Infantry deploys to their positions ready for battle somewhere in a Mindanao province.

"RAMBO". A Philippine
Government soldier, member of the Special Operations
Unit as seen in his shoulder patch aims his M-60
machine gun in a gunnery range. He and his unit are
part of the Philippine troop contingent participating
in the Balikatan military exerices with the United
States Army in Fort Magsaysay, Nueva Ecija province.

Future Commanders. As he
shook hands with then President Marcos on stage during the 1978 PMA graduation, former 1st Class Cadet Art Ortiz had the urge to speak out his thoughts "Mr. President, you're
looking at the future Chief of Staff". Indeed
the future leadership of the Philippine military lies
in the breed of these men and women as seen here in a
battalion staff of the Cadet Corp Armed Forces of the
Philippines of the Philippine Military Academy in
Baguio City.

Smile ! You're on Camera.
Members of the Philippine Army Special Forces Unit
some camouflaged with their sniper guille suits
parades for the public during a Philippine Army
celebration in Fort Bonifacio.

Platoon Leader. An
unidentified Philippine Army Scout Ranger 2nd
Lieutenant assess the vicinity as he leads his platoon hunting down communist and muslim rebels in the jungles and highlands of the Philippines.

Jungle Survival 101. An
unidentified Philippine Army special forces soldier
educates US Special Forces soldiers in jungle survival
techniques. Shown here a giant monitor lizard or
Bayawak trapped by Filipino soldiers ready to be
cook. The Americans will find out it will taste
better than kentucky fried chicken.

Ready, Aim, Fire !.
Philippine Army Sergeant Agustin Sulleza with US
Army S/Sergeant Neil Estrada examines a high tech
US made M-14 Carbine complete with night scope vision
during the Balikatan military exercises held in
Mindanao.

Stealth Fighter!. Strike One, you're out. Coming out from nowhere, typical in their training, a Philippine Army special forces soldier emerges from his ambush position and surprises the enemy too late to fire back.

Jungle Break. Philippine
Army soldiers led by LTColonel Esperon of the 402nd
Infantry (stinger) Brigade takes a break during combat
operations in Agusan Province known as the
TALUBAN-BOKBOKON complex locally known as "little
Vietnam". Esperon then a Battalion commander in the
region at that time became a Brigade commander in
Basilan island and was famous in hunting down the Abu
Sayyaf rebel group.

Bravo's Braves. Led by
Captain Noel Bravo (looking at the camera), a
Philippine Army patrol crosses a river deep inside
the guerrila base of Front 4B of the Northern
Revolutionary Committee in the tri-boundary of Agusan
del Norte/Del Sur and Bukidnon provinces. Immediately
after the river crossing Bravo's patrol known as the
"Bravo's Braves" encountered in a brief gun battle the New People Army guerillas bringing in supplies in the region.

Gun Preps. Gun crew of a Philippine Army Artillery units prepares their 105mm howitzers ready to support infantry soldiers in the field when the call for thier help is received. The unit operates in various areas in the Philippines in support to such missions.

X-ray vision. Before going on a night patrol down enemy territory, a Philippine Army lieutenant test his new night vision goggles (NVG) to be use in such environment.

Enemy sighted. From the turret of his armored infantry fighting vehicle, a tank commander directs his crew as he sights communist rebels during a search and destroy mission. Part of the Philippine Army Light Armored Regiment (PALAR)operates in the hinterlands of Northern and Central Luzon.

Walking Wounded. Possibly hurt during the summer Field Training Exercises (FTX), two cadets from the Philippine Military Academy, one with an arm cast, the other with a crutch from a recovering broken leg walks back to their dormitory after the day's class session. The future leadership of the AFP lies on the grounds of their campus.

In the line of fire. From his ambush position, an infantry machine gunner from the Philippine Army 2nd Infantry Division readies his M-60 machine gun awaiting orders to fire on the lurking enemy coming within his sight and line of fire.

New Commandos. With a variety of weapons like the M-14, MP5 and even gas mask, new graduates of hard fighting Philippine Army commandos tasked for urban warfare and close combat quarters marches for their graduation ceremony in the grounds of Fort Bonifacio.

Armored Patrol. Somewhere in a town in Basilan Province, a Philippine Army armored infantry figthing vehicle of the light armored brigade is eyed by the town's people as it rumbles in a village street patrolling the area in search of muslim seccessionist and Abu Sayyaf rebels.

Figthing Gabrielas. Led by two female 1st Lieutenants, members of the Philippine Army all-female company, the modern day Gabriela Silang's parade in Fort Bonifacio during the Philippine Army Anniversary celebration. They are the figthing image reflecting that of the Ilocano heroine and army revolutionary leader.

We Were Cadettes Ones and Young. Female cadettes Leah Lorenzo (L) and Maria Rica Cajucum of the class of 1997 started out their military training as plebes at the Philippine Military Academy. They are seen here during their beast barracks training. Today, Lorenzo who ranked third in her graduating class is now a Captain in the Philippine Army assigned to the Army Southern Command (SOCOM) based in Zamboanga City. She and 16 others were the first PMA female cadettes appointed for training in the country's elite military academy.

Mobile MASH. With his obsolete but effective M-14 assault rifle and his medic's kit, a ranger combat medic, member of the elite Philippine Army Scout Ranger Regiment patrols with his comrades in the outskirts of Lamitan in Basilan Island in the hunt for muslim rebels.

Lineman. Prior to a ceremony, a 2nd class cadet of the Philippine Military Academy checks out the "long gray line" as they prepare to parade for their annual Philippine Independence Day celebration in Manila.

Tank and a half. A turret taken from a British-made Scorpion light tank is mated on a US-made M-113 armored personell carrier. This configuration gives more firepower when delivering or extracting troops from heavy enemy fire. An example here is shown patrolling somewhere in Southern Philippines.

Chow with the Chief.
Female Philippine Army Scout Ranger officers 1st Lieutenant Leonora Villorte (l) and Captain Gemma Lorenzo (r) poses with their Commander in Chief Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo during chow time also called "boodle fight" in one of the President's visit to military installations in the country. In this case at Camp Tecson.

Panzer commander. From his newly commissioned, newly painted Simba armored personnel carrier, a commander sits on his "balcony" as he prepares to board the BRP Dagupan City, a Navy Landing Ship Tank (LST) that will take them to the Southern Philippine island of Basilan Province.

The Band of Brothers. The Philippine ROTC has provided more than 70-80% of officers in the Armed Forces of the Philippines. The majority of which will join the Philippine Army after graduation. Here a group of Advance ROTC cadet officers from a Philippine Agricultural College possibly from the University of the Philippines in Los Banos, Laguna Province (UPLB) prepares to embark from their campus for field training exercises (FTX) possibly in Mt. Makiling.

"Kamayan Restaurant". It is said that "An army that does not feed is an army that will bleed." Here members of the Philippine Army Special Forces group operating in a remote base camp chows for lunch, field style - kamayan (with their hands).

R & R. That's Rest and Reccon. Here a soldier of the Philippine Army scout ranger regiment scans the field as members of his patrol rest during a long range recconnaissance patrol somewhere in Northern Luzon.

Field Class. Members of the PMA class 2006 assemble for Field Training Exercises as part of their curriculum in the Academy.

AFP's Who's Who. When belittled by the press regarding his combat record, then four star general Fidel V. Ramos responded "I fought the communist as part of the BCT's (Battalion Combat Team). I was battalion staff officer, company commander, task force commander, special forces group commander. I was in the Huk campaign, Korea, Vietnam, I led the advance party of the PHILCAG and went to war zone Z - the so called Alligator's jaw; where Max Soliven said "The Viet-Cong will eat you up." We were there as non-combat troops. Try to be a non-combat troop in a forward (combat) area. That is the toughest assignment. In Korea, I was a platoon leader. Recon leader. Our job? To recon the front line - the no man's land. What did we do? we assaulted the Communist Chinese and wiped them all out. This Special Forces group we commanded in the Army in 1962-1965? That was the only combat unit remaining in the country. The rest were training as a Division set-up. We were in Luzon, Sulu, Marawi. Who was sent? RAMOS. We raided the camp besiegned by 400 rebels. I was commander here and abroad. I never had an assignment abroad that was not combat. For thirty seven years, no soft jobs for Ramos. I went to West Point, Fort Benning, Fort Bragg. I was airborne, I was one of the first four Filipinos sent to the U.S. for special forces training. I was top constable and help established the SAF (Special Action Force). I was Chief of Staff of the AFP and then President. So next time look at the man's record. Huwag kayong sulat ng sulat (don't just write and write). You say I have no combat experienced? I bet now, you are all sorry you ask."

Here, then the AFP Chief of Staff disembark from a Huey helicopter visiting his troops in the front lines.

We Army. The members of the PMA class 2006 takes their oath as officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines during their graduation ceremonies. Fifty percent of these young officers will join the Philippine Army.